The fifth episode of the TBS Sunday Theatre drama "The Royal Family" (Sundays at 9:00 PM), starring Satoshi Tsumabuki, aired on Getsuku. The verbal battle between Sanno Kozo (Koichi Sato) and Shiina Yoshihiro (Sawamura Kazuki) over each other's horses caused a stir on social media, with many people saying it was "spirit-filled."
◇The following contains spoilers
Royal Hope, owned by Kozo, was given priority entry into the Satsuki Sho, the first race of the Triple Crown, but finished 16th. First place went to Valshare, owned by Shiina. After Hope's crushing defeat, Kozo invited Shiina out to dinner for the first time.
During the meal, with Shiina's racing manager, Aiso (Yoshizawa Yu), and Kurisu (Tsumabuki) also present, the topic of Valshare came up. Kozo candidly stated that he hates the horse because it's always in the way, and that he wishes it would just disappear.
In response, Shiina confidently said, "I see. Then let me say that Royal Hope is certainly a good horse. However, he will never beat our horse in the future. That's because there is no reason for Valshare to lose in terms of speed, stamina, sense, or start."
Shiina then brought up the fact that Valshare lost to Royal Hope in their debut race, and said, "I will never forget the cheers from the stands then. It was as if they were hoping for us to lose..." and grimaced in frustration. "I decided then that I would never lose to Royal Hope again. Not just to Royal Hope. That's what I've decided," he said with a smile, showing his strong determination. Even after winning the race, Shiina, who is usually calm, revealed his true feelings, and Kozo could only be amazed, saying, "He's a raccoon after all. I've seen his true colors."
On social media, the exchange between President Sanno and President Shiina was a hot topic, with comments such as "I was blown away by the interaction between them," "Shiina is really conscious of Royal Hope," "Shiina is so passionate and cool," "I'm a Shiina fan," and "I wonder if it was President Sanno's personality that brought out President Shiina's true feelings."
The story is based on the novel of the same name by Kazuma Hayami. Kurisu admired her father, who was a tax accountant, and followed in his footsteps, but she experienced setbacks and lost hope. However, her life takes a major turn when she meets Kozo Sanno, a horse owner.
